Data communication networks may include various computers, servers, nodes, routers, switches, bridges, hubs, proxies, and other network devices (generically referred to as network elements) coupled together and configured to pass data to one another. Data is communicated through the data communication network by passing protocol data units, such as frames, packets, cells, or segments, between the network elements. The various network elements on the communication network communicate with each other using protocols. Different protocols are used to administer different parts of the communication, such as instructing the network elements how to route information.
As networking technology has evolved, Ethernet has become an increasingly important technology across various segments of networks, including local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), and wide-area networks MANS). However, Ethernet does not allow certain OAM operations to occur, thereby limiting the ability to manage and diagnose problems on the network. In some instances, the lack of OAM support in Ethernet prevents the network provider from taking measurements to perform fault detection, isolation, confirmation, and many other operations that a network provider or subscriber may wish to be able to do on the network.